The homeowners had lived near
Lake of the Isles for years and very much wanted to purchase this house. When it came on the market, they made an
offer, and we worked together to masterplan how to redevelop the site. The original garage, located in the middle of
the backyard with its drive off the side street, was demolished and its brick
was salvaged, to be used elsewhere on the project. We designed a new garage, accessed from the
alley, allowing the yard to become a series of raised and sunken gardens. The garage has a potting shed and a pergola
that connects it to the new rear entry.
The main elliptical garden was designed to reinforce the axes
established by the house and its new French doors, additions, and terraces.

All four floors were
remodeled, with the new kitchen relocated to improve main level
circulation. The dining room opens up
better to the lake, and the living room now opens by way of French doors to a
terrace overlooking the backyard and its gardens. Upstairs, a sleeping room was selected for
the master bedroom and parts of the second floor were reconfigured for a suite
of bath and closets. An oval reading
room, with its skylight looking up into the majestic oak tree overhead, was
built on the front of the house, providing panoramic views of the lake. It gives rain protection to the front
door. The new front terrace looks out
across the sweeping east lawn to the lake and creates new opportunities for
plantings.